Advanced Material Research Updates: Lightweight Materials and Power Metallurgy

FARMINGTON, Conn., Jan. 15, 2013 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Reducing structural weight is one of the most important ways of reducing fuel consumption and improving the performance of motor vehicles and other types of transportation equipment. For example, an estimated 75% of the average motor vehicle's fuel consumption is directly related to factors associated with vehicle weight.

Other industries, particularly the automotive industry, did not embrace lightweight materials as rapidly as the aircraft industry. However, in the 1990s automakers doubled their use of aluminum in an effort to reduce vehicle weight to meet federal fuel economy standards. While the Aluminum Association projects that automotive demand for aluminum should slow in the early 21st century, automakers are now incorporating increasing amounts of composites in their products. Global Information (GII) recommends a new report on lightweight materials in transportation below.

In addition to the automotive industry, the powder metallurgy industry also caters to a wide range of industries including aerospace, medical and dental. In recent years there have also been several new applications for powdered metals such as conductive inks, paints and electronics. GII highlights a report below that profiles the top 10 companies in the global powder metallurgy industry, and provides comments on several transformative changes that are happening in the powder metallurgy industry. The industry as such has a wide range of companies as playersincluding metal powder manufacturers, part manufacturers, equipment manufacturers, end users and several unique supporting suppliers.

Alongside these reports, GII also provides hundreds of related advanced material market information reports from publishers around the globe, offering forecasts and analyses for the extended market in one simple, convenient source.

Lightweight Materials in Transportation

Report highlights include: an overview of the global market for lightweight materials in transportation equipment, including motor vehicles, aircraft, trains, and ships; analyses of global market trends, with data from 2011, estimates for 2012, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2017; identifies of lightweight materials that are in commercial use or under development for transportation applications; discussion of trends by type of material and application; factors that will influence the long-term development of the market; and comprehensive company profiles of major players in the industry.

Intended for manufacturers in particular and users of lightweight materials in the transportation equipment industry, this report is structured around specific technologies and is largely nontechnical in nature and concerned primarily with markets, pricing, competition and other marketing-related issues.

Powder metallurgy is the science of fabrication of components with metal powders as their starting materials. This is in contrast to conventional metallurgy, which involves processes such as melting and pouring, casting, drawing, forming, cutting, machining, welding, extrusion, forging and other related processes. In conventional metallurgy, the metal or alloy is always in a continuous physical form, either solid or liquid, and is made into various shapes and articles using the above-mentioned processes. In the case of powder metallurgy, these processes are replaced by new and easier methods by which to process powders, such as blending, compacting and sintering.

This report identifies the top 10 major manufacturers of powder metal and other related materials, such as ceramics and nanopowders, special alloys and metal matrix composites, and companies that make parts and components for automotive products, industrial and tolling equipment, recreation and hobby items, appliances, business machines and other products.

About Global Information Inc. Global Information (GII) (http://www.giiresearch.com) is an information service company partnering with over 300 research companies around the world. Global Information has been in the business of distributing technical and market research for more than 25 years. Expanded from its original headquarters in Japan, Global Information now has offices in Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Europe and the United States.

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